PARSIPPANY, N.J., Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After a five year journey to parenthood, the Dodge family of Warrenton, Va. was announced the winner of Ferring Pharmaceuticals' 2013 Heart to Heart Video Contest. The contest gave parents who have struggled with infertility a chance to win $15,000 toward their child's education by sharing their story.

With one in eight couples, or about 7.3 million individuals in the U.S., experiencing infertility[1], the Dodges were inspired to participate in the contest to stimulate a national conversation on the topic, letting those affected by the disease know they are not alone in their journey. As they share in their video, their journey included three miscarriages, 16 sessions of grief counseling, four IVF cycles, 164 fertility injections, 112 days of bed rest, and 43 ultrasounds.

"We are so grateful to have the opportunity to share our story and, hopefully, reduce the stigma that is often associated with fertility issues," said Aren Dodge. "It has been a long journey to parenthood which included thousands of prayers and millions of tears, but we are so grateful to have our miracle baby at the end of our journey and want to encourage others going through the process to never give up hope."

This fall, thousands of voters participated in the public voting period and ultimately named Aren and her husband Jeff winners. As a result, they will receive a $15,000 educational fund for their daughter, Alison June Dodge. Each of the four runners-up will also receive a $2,000 educational fund for their children.

"We are thrilled to name the Dodge family as the winner in the first Heart to Heart Video Contest," said Nick Hart, Business Unit Head for U.S. Reproductive Health for Ferring. "Aren and Jeff were not only open about the struggles they faced during their journey to parenthood, but also sent a message of encouragement to others affected by the disease and similarly hoping to expand their families."

This year's Heart to Heart Contest, which launched in March 2013, encouraged parents who have struggled with infertility to submit a creative video that showed the steps they took to achieve their dream of parenthood.

About Ferring Pharmaceuticals Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a research-driven biopharmaceutical company devoted to identifying, developing and marketing innovative products in the fields of reproductive health, urology, gastroenterology, endocrinology and osteoarthritis. For more information, visit www.ferringUSA.com.